Electronic devices are known to include wireless communication devices to establish wireless communication via electromagnetic radiation with external devices. For example, a portable computing device (such as a laptop) can include wireless communication devices such as a WiFi radio circuit used to establish a wireless Internet communication and/or a Bluetooth radio circuit used to establish a wireless communication with an accessory (such as a mouse). The wireless communication devices may include an antenna to transmit and receive certain radio frequencies. As a result, the wireless transmission may cause interference with other internal components of the portable computing device.
One method of shielding the wireless transmission includes a sponge-like foam material formed from a conductive material. However, the foam material may include a nonmatching appearance as compared to the appearance of structural features surrounding the foam material. As a result, the foam material intended only for functional use may nonetheless be visible, which is generally undesirable. Another solution is to use a solid material formed from a conductive material and having a uniform density, unlike the foam material. However, the solid material, when disposed between two housing structures of the electronic device, may be too rigid and therefore less likely to compress. As a result, one of the housing structures may deform or bow, which is also undesirable. Further, as the housing structures become thinner, their ability to resist deformation decreases.